Cambridge Festival of Ideas

Freedom, revolution and communication have shaped human history since the dawn of mankind.

These three themes form the backbone of this year’s Festival of Ideas at the University of Cambridge – the UK’s only arts, humanities and social sciences festival.

Throughout the Festival, we will debate some of the biggest questions in modern times. As the population hits seven billion, we ask: can the Earth sustain this many people and is reproductive freedom a fundamental liberty? Is Wikileaks causing a net revolution or setting the stage for net censorship? What is the future of communication? Will the English language ever become extinct and why are so many other languages under threat?

The main day of the Festival on Saturday 22 October is bursting with free events for the whole family to enjoy. There will be talks by world-famous children’s authors Marcus Sedgwick and zombie-loving Charlie Higson, debates by pioneering academics, dance performances and dozens of hands on activities for adults as well as children.